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India Auto Retail Sets FY26 Record as Fuel Shock Drives EV Milestones in Australia and UK

Industry leaders warn lasting gains require more public charging.

Overview

  • FADA data released this week show India’s retail vehicle sales rose 13.3% in FY26 to 29.67 million units, with March setting a new monthly high at 2.69 million and dealer inventories easing to about 28 days.
  • India’s EV retail climbed 24.6% in FY26 to about 2.45 million, with electric passenger cars up 83.6% to 199,923 units as Tata, JSW MG and Mahindra led a market still dominated by electric two- and three-wheelers.
  • Australia set a March record with battery-electric vehicles at 14.6% of new sales and plug-ins reaching 22.2%, a shift industry groups link to fuel shortages and price spikes from the Middle East conflict.
  • The UK logged a record 86,120 battery-electric registrations in March for a 22.6% share, though SMMT noted that remains below the government’s zero-emission sales target and flagged rising cost pressures.
  • After FY26’s surge, FADA projects high single-digit growth in FY27 and cautions that geopolitics, input costs and limited public charging could temper demand even as model choice and affordability improve.